Sewer-cleaning apparatus.



W. A. PIERCE. I SEWER CLEANING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED OOT. 3,1908.

Peitented Apr. 13,1909.

cm, WASHINGTON, a. c,

WILLIAM A. PIERCE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SEWER-CLEANING- APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 13, 1909.

Application filed October 3, 1908. Serial No. 456,043.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. Plnnon, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSewerCleaning Apparatus, of which the following is a full and clearspecification, reference being had to .the accompanying drawing, inwhich Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention; Fig. 2 is a rearelevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the bucket in avertical position and opened to empty'it, and, Fig. 4 is a transversesection of the bucket closed.

This invention has for its object the production of a simple andefficient apparatus for removing silt and other matters accumulated onthe bottoms of sewers or drains, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

The apparatus is a bucket-like scoop open at its front end and closed atits rear end and being substantially cylindrical in shape and taperingtoward its rear end. The bucket is divided longitudinally into twosections a, and b semi-circular in cross-section and hinged together attheir forward ends by horizontal pivots cl passing through dependingears on the upper section a and the adj acent Wall of the lower section.The edges of the upper section are provided with a depending flange cwhich overlaps the exterior of the adjacent edge of the lower sectionand breaks the joint between the two sections, thus preventing solidmatters in the bucket escaping but permitting the liquid to run out.

One of the sections, at its rear end, is provided with a latch f adaptedto detachably lock the two sections closed. The lower section is(provided with a pair of integral runners g epending from its under sideand lying arallei with each other and running the fu length of thebucket. These runners are separated from each other a distance equal toabout one-third of the circumference of the lower section, and owing tothe taper of the bucket and the fact that the lower edges of the runnersare parallel with the longitudinal axis of the bucket the runners aredeeper at their rear ends than at their forward ends.

wardly-projecting scoop or lip h, and the front edge of this lip, ateither side, is provided with a forwardly projecting lug i, and to eachof these lugs is attached the rear end of a short chain is connectedtogether at their forward ends by a link Z to which the hauling-cable isattached. A similar pair of chains 76 connect the front edge of theupper section at either side with said link Z. A bail or link m ispivotally attached to the rear end of the lower section for attachmentwith the pull-back cable.

This a paratus is adapted to be ulled alternate y forwardly and backwardy on the bottom of the sewer by means of suitable cables and tackle. Onthe forward movement the silt is gathered up and directed into thebucket by means of the scoo -like formation of the front edge of theower section, the rearwardly-tapering shape of the bucket, together withthe weight thereof, causing the scoop to dig into the silt andeffectually scrape the bottom of the sewer. The runners g serve to guidethe bucket in its back-and-forth movements and to prevent it turningover on its side. The rearwardly tapering shape of the bucketfacilitates the pulling back of the bucket, this tapering shape insuringthe bucket riding on top of the collected silt. The arrangement of thehauling-chains 7c and 7c tend not only to keep the bucket movingstraight ahead but also to distribute the hauling strain directly toboth sections and thus relieve the pivots d of strain.

The bucket is emptied by bringing it to a vertical position andunlatching the catch f, whereupon the weight of the material in thebucket will automatically swing the sections apart and permit thecontents to run out. The tapering of the bucket toward its rear or lowerend also facilitates this automatic separation of the bucket sectionswhen the bucket is held in a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 3, aslikewise does the manner of connecting the hauling-chains to the frontor upper edges of the bucket sections.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A dredging bucket of the character set forth, consisting of a bucketopen at its The front end of the lower section projects front end andclosed at its rear end and a considerable distance beyond the front jdivided longitudinally to form an upper and edge of the upper section toform a for- L a lower section, horizontal pivots pivoting the twosections together at their forward ends and a latch detachablyconnecting their rear ends, and hauling and suspending chains connectedto the front edges of both sections at opposite sides of said pivots,the front of the ower section being extended forwardly to form ascoop-like projection, and the body of the bucket being taperedrearwardly and being provided with a pair of spaced runners on its*under side extending the full length of the bucket and the scooplikeprojection, the lower edge of the runners being horizontal.

2. A dredging bucket of the character set forth, consisting of a bucketopen at its front end and closed at its rear end and dividedlongitudinally to form an upper and a lower section, horizontal pivotspivoting the two sections together at their forward ends anda latchdetachably connecting their rear ends, and hauling and suspending chainsconnected to the front edges of both sections at opposite sides of saidpivots, the body port on of the bucket being ta ered rearwardly andbeing provided wit a pair of longitudinal -de ending runners whose loweredges are aral el with the longitudinal axis of the buc et.

In testimony whereof I hereunto my signature in the presence of twowitnesses this first day of @ctober, 1 908.

\VILLIAM A. PIERCE.

VV-itnesses:

IRVING L. JAMESON, T. H. MULLEN.

